Warbler said:
RicOlie_2 said:
Well, in the Catholic interpretation of things, priests are called by God. If God doesn't call any women to be priests, we can't very well ordain any. That's obviously a very simplistic explanation, but if there is really a God, I think he's got that kind of authority.
So how does the Catholic Church determine if somone is called by God to be a Priest?
Well, it comes down to interpreting the signs of a vocation. Usually, such a vocation develops over time. First, a guy might start thinking about the priesthood, which grows into a feeling that he is being called to become a priest, which becomes stronger, until he is sure that it is the path he should take.
Additionally, in order to become a priest one should have a desire to serve others--and for the right reasons. If his motivation to become a priest has to do with the approval it would win him in the eyes of certain people, or it is at all fueled by a desire for status or power, then those are signs that that person may not make a good priest. Or, a person might want to become a priest to escape the responsibilities of family life or life in the "real world," which is also a faulty motive.
A candidate for the priesthood must further be fit for the priesthood itself. That is, they must be able to meet the demands of celibacy, or whatever other sacrifices that are demanded of the priesthood. They must have the ability to be in charge of a parish without being overwhelmed by it. They must have sufficient strength of faith and knowledge of theology and Church teaching to be able to pass it on to others. They must be comfortable helping people and able to aid people in spiritual growth, but also be able to handle living alone.
Affirmation by others that one would make a good priest, or suggestion that one should consider becoming one are also good indicators of a call to the priesthood. If it seems that everyone is commenting on what a good priest you'd make, it may be something to consider.
None of the above, taken on their own, are good signs of a priestly vocation. Usually they all come together, sometimes in a short period of time, sometimes over years or even decades.
As you'll note, the above list is quite subjective. That can result in bad priests. Usually, in those cases, not everything in the above list is met. There isn't a "vocation checklist" which must have every box checked off in order to be ordained, so some people get ordained when they have imperfection motivations, or are doing it to escape life.
However, it does give you a fairly good idea of what the Church looks for in priests, and how a vocation can be recognized. Nearly all, if not all, good priests live up to the above in terms of motivation and suitability for the priesthood as described.